I’ve been followed with bad luck since buying my new 2021 4th Gen or maybe it’s just that I’m worrying too much about nothing. So I’ve driven over a few questionable speed bumps and then had the car inspected and the mechanics determined there was no major or minor damage other then so scrapes on the splash guard. However, most recently I was driving on the highway at around 9pm at night fiddling with the dash controls (steering assist, ac priority to seats, etc.) on a pretty clear rod with hardly any traffic out on a highway, when in a split second I noticed what seemed like a shredded tire from a truck with a trailer extension. I’m not sure though because I guess it could have been some other car part like a muffler, some plastic splash guard from another car, maybe some kind of pipe. Anyway, it was too late to swerve out of the way so I drove right over it on the right side of my car. I didn’t hear a clunk, bang or hard thumping sound. I kind of think it sounded like a shredded tire from a truck. I didn’t notice any leaks or spills under the car after it’s been park for a few hours. I was wondering if someone could tell me what kind of damage I should be looking for if it was something more substantial than a shredded tire? Thanks.
How do I go about checking those areas? I mean, where are the areo covers and speed sensor wirings located?
the whole bottom of the car is covered by plastic aero covers except for the exhaust i think. the speed sensor wiring runs from the inside of the wheel toward the axle. it might be easier on a lift. this is gen 3: photos-taken-of-the-bottom-of-my-prius.68549 gen 4: oil-change-diy-for-gen-4.165288
Ok, thank you for this information. So if I take my car to a local Goodyear Tire and Auto shop and they put it up on a lift and do a full point inspection, would they be able to tell if something (wire sensors, etc) was damaged?
In the past 12 years of mostly interstate driving with an average of 35,000 miles a year, I've managed to whack quite a few things. The worst was a separated semi retread that was standing on end that I hit with my Gen III and required replacement of the whole vehicle front fascia. I've rumbled over a pile of broken cinder blocks, intercepted crazy animals that I only got a glimpse of, but generally avoided most potential impacts because of hyper-awareness and excellent vehicle lighting systems. The first thing to check is just look underneath to see if anything is hanging down. The front end is generally where most of the damage will be. The engine under-paneling is mostly attached with removable spring clips that are easy to replace and provide enough flex on impact to protect from serious damage. I keep a bag of them handy. For my safety and peace of mind, if it were to involve anything up in the wheel wells, brake lines and ABS sensor cables, I would consult with my Toyota service department.